Floyd's dad not worried about Maidana's power

ABS-CBN News

With 31 knockout victories and an 81.58% knockout rate, Argentine boxer Marcos Maidana has built a reputation as a fearsome puncher, but veteran trainer Floyd Mayweather Sr. is not worried.

Mayweather Sr. is training his son, unbeaten American Floyd Mayweather Jr., for a title-unification showdown against Maidana on May 3 in Las Vegas.

“He punches extremely hard if he has an 80% knockout ratio,” the younger Mayweather said of Maidana during a media workout last week. “That’s obviously his best attribute.”

But the older Mayweather does not seem too concerned, openly questioning if Maidana even punches as hard as Mexican Saul “Canelo” Alvarez, whom his son beat handily last year.

“Do you think that Maidana can punch as hard as Alvarez?” he said in an interview with Tha Boxing Voice. “We aren’t worried about his punching power.”

Floyd Sr. is also unconcerned about Maidana’s plan to attack his son, pointing out that it opens up opportunities for Floyd Jr. to counter.

“(Maidana’s trainer) Robert Garcia has him training to throw one hundred punches a round, but you have to realize, if you are throwing them slow, do you think they are going to get there?” Floyd Sr. said.

“The more punches he tries to throw at my son, the more he is going to open himself up,” he added. “He is not the type of guy that throws short punches, sharp punches. He’s the kind of guy that throws looping punches, big, wide punches.”

Floyd Jr. himself refused to say that Maidana would be the hardest puncher that he has fought.

“Well, I haven’t been hit by Maidana yet, so I can’t really say,” said the unbeaten boxer.

“I may be the hardest puncher he ever fought. He hasn’t been hit by me yet, so we’ll just have to see if he’s the hardest puncher,” Mayweather Jr. added.

Of Maidana’s 35 career victories, 31 have come by knockout. Mayweather, meanwhile, has won 26 of his 45 bouts by knockout, and last registered a stoppage win in September 2012, when he kayoed Victor Ortiz in the fourth round.